


I Won't Let It Swallow You Whole

by FireMane15



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Dick is there for her, F/M, Kory's going through it, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 02, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28533390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireMane15/pseuds/FireMane15
Summary: After a few moments, a feeling of peace he’s never really known washes over him. He feels like everything’s okay, like there was never a time when anything wasn’t okay. This moment is a safe haven.He wonders if she’s feeling the same./During a gala in Gotham, Dick and Kory are there for each other; albeit in different ways.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Koriand'r
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	I Won't Let It Swallow You Whole

Dick ends the call.

Well, fuck.

He supposes there are worse things. There are definitely worse things. But, one of the best things about getting away from Gotham, among many many other arguably more important things, was avoiding these stupid galas.

But he supposes it’s a small price to pay. Bruce was able to pull some strings and get the whole prison-fugitive thing taken care of. And if all Dick has to do was go to some fundraising gala, to which Bruce was donating a huge amount to clear this whole thing up, he supposes that it’s fair.

Doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it though.

He’s always been terrible at these things. And his lack of recent practice isn’t going to help. He just doesn’t know how to _be_ in this type of environment.

He leaves his room, and goes to find the rest of the team to tell them that: 1) he will be gone next Friday, 2) their patrols and training will continue as normal, and 3) that Kory will be left in charge. 

They’re all hanging out in the common room. And no, his eyes don’t immediately find and single out Kory.

“Hey,” Connor pipes up when Dick enters the room. 

Everyone turns to look at him.

“Hey, so I have to attend this dumb fundraising Gala in Gotham next Friday, so I won’t be here, but training will continue as normal, no slacking off, and -”

Hank, and Gar groan.

“So, you get a break to go to some party, and we still have to train?” Hank asks, annoyed.

“I wouldn’t really call it a party. It’s going to be horrible, and I will have a shitty time, if that’s any consolation to you. Believe me, I would much be training with you guys.”

“I could go with you, if you want?” Kory offers like it’s nothing. “I’m pretty good at those types of things. I could probably even make you look good too.”

Dick looks at her in disbelief.

“Are you serious?”

“Completely.” she answers casually without hesitation.

“You’re sure wanna come to this stupid thing with me? It’s not going to be fun.”

“I’m sure.” Kory says as she stands up, and walks towards him.

“And I can make anything fun,” she tells him smugly, giving him a playful look.

His mouth dries up and his heart rate increases.

She walks past him, and he can’t help but turn his head and watches her as she saunters away.

Hank coughs. 

And Dick is pulled out of this bubble, this bubble between Kory and him. Despite his usual excellent awareness of his surroundings, he had forgotten that anyone else was in room for a second.

“Yeah, uhhh..” Dick stammers. “So Kory and I will be gone next Friday then, and as I said training and patrolling will go on normally, and uhh...”

Dick looks at everyone in the room, eyes going back and forth between Dawn and Hank.

“Dawn is in charge,” he finishes.

He glances in the direction that Kory left, even though she’s already gone.

Maybe the gala won’t be _that_ terrible after all.

* * *

A week and a half later, Dick and Kory are on a Wayne private jet on their way to Gotham.

Dick can feel himself start to worry about the team. He knows it will probably be fine. Things have been relatively quiet recently. It’s one night. The team is more than capable of taking care of themselves.

Still, he can’t turn off that part of his brain that worries. What if it’s the one night something big happens? That something horrible happens? And he’s not there? Dawn and Hank are the only adults there, Gar and Connor, the only ones with powers.

“They’re going to be fine.” Kory says, stopping his spiral.

He looks at her. She looks softly back at him.

"I wasn’t -”

“Yes, you were,” She tells him, leaving no room for argument.

He huffs a bit in annoyance. Annoyance at how well she can read him, even if it secretly pleases him a little bit too. Just a little bit. Definitely not more than that.

“Dick,” she says, as she puts her hand on his. He looks down at their hands. He has to force himself not to stare at them. He makes himself focus on her words rather than the warmth of her hand on his.

“They can do it. You just need to trust them. You’re not the only one who can save the day, you know?”

“I know that,” he protests.

“Do you? You don’t always act like it. You need to be comfortable letting other people take the reins every once in a while.”

“I am.”

A beat later.

“I would have been more than comfortable leaving you in charge.” 

And it’s true. He would. He would still worry a bit; it is his way. But, his mind would be much more at ease if Kory was left in charge of the team. But that would mean that she wouldn’t be here with him now, so his unease is worth it.

Kory looks stunned. She opens and closes her mouth a few times, as if she was going to say something. But in the end, she doesn’t.

He can’t figure out why that statement caused her to become so speechless, something he’s never seen happen to Kory before. He’d thought about it before, about what he could say that would render Kory, so confident and self-assured, speechless. In his mind, it’s usually something suave and cool.

But it’s this?

Is it really that surprising to her? His trust and faith in her, especially her leadership abilities? He always thought that was very clear. But maybe not. He isn’t always the best at conveying his feelings.

After a few minutes of stunned silence, Kory finds her voice.

“Well, I guess that’s a start.”

He looks over at her. And she looks so soft, and the moment feels so intimate between them. 

Not for the first time, he wants to kiss her.

* * *

Later that day, Dick waits in the foyer of Wayne Manor, dressed in a tux. He fidgets uncomfortably. It’s been a while since he’s worn one, and he was never very comfortable in them in the first place. It’s just not him.

He hears heels clicking on the wood floor. He looks up towards the stairs.

Fuck.

Kory walks down the big, grand stairs, wearing a deep purple, velvet, off-the-shoulder, floor length dress. The dress is tight, hugging her curves perfectly, and there is a long slit that runs to the top of her thigh, exposing one of her long, gorgeous legs.

Fuck, she looks so so good.

He wants to kiss her.

He wants to do more than kiss her.

He can’t take his eyes off her. Can’t blink. He feels desire course through every single one of his veins. He knows he’s doing a bad job at hiding it. So stunned by her, that he can’t even try to hide his eyes perusing her form. And from the little smirk on her face, she knows it.

Fuck, she’s so fucking beautiful. Otherworldly. Literally. 

“Wow,” Dick says as he finally his voice, “You look...incredible.”

He curses himself for how breathy his voice comes out.

“I know,” she responds smugly, tilting her head playfully. 

He huffs a little laugh at her response; it’s just so Kory.

He wants to kiss her.

“You look alright,” she tells him.

“Alright?”

“mm-hmm,” she nods, looking up at him with faux innocent eyes. 

He rolls his eyes at her. 

He is in the middle of trying to think of something witty and flirty to say back when Bruce arrives.

“You look very nice,” Bruce says to Kory.

“Thank you, Bruce,” she replies smiling.

All Bruce gives Dick is “best behavior,” like Dick’s a child.

They head out toward the car, Bruce walking in front with Dick and Kory walking together behind him.

“All I get is an ‘I know,’ while he gets a ‘thank you?’“ Dick asks her. They get in the limo with Bruce. Dick can feel Bruce’s eyes on them. He doesn’t have to look to know that Bruce is analyzing him.

“Oh, hush,” she tells him as she looks at him fondly, “I never knew you were so needy.”

“And I never knew you were so withholding.”

They share a look for a moment, before they both let out half-suppressed laughs. One of the last things any one could ever call Kory is withholding. But after their laughter subsides, and the car is quiet, he looks at her, as she looks out the window. He looks at her and thinks of how distant she’s felt at times this past month. So maybe that’s not true after all. 

* * *

The gala is exactly what Dick thought it’d be. Exactly what he remembers. Stuffy. Excessive. Oppressive.

Kory is amazing. Well, Dick’s always known she was amazing. But, watching her now...

It’s something. She wasn’t kidding when she said she was good at these things. She’s so comfortable, so at ease. Effortlessly charming. Everyone’s taken by her. Her smile is big and bright. Her laugher comes easily. She seems genuinely interested in the people and curious about they have to say. She asks thoughtful and interesting questions. And people light up when she does, surprised and delighted to get away from the standard questions and small talk they’re used to. People light up when her attention is on them. And he gets it. Having Kory’s full and complete attention is on you...it’s the best feeling in the world. Like you’re floating. Like the sun is shining only on you. So yeah, he gets the effect she has on these people.

And the things is, she’s not being fake or phony. Not putting on an act. She’s not being someone she’s not. She’s not calibrating her words and actions to appease everyone, or anyone. She’s not faking any smiles, or laughing at things she doesn’t find funny. She is just being herself. Magnetic. Captivating. Magical.

He wants to kiss her.

He’s in awe. And slightly jealous. He wishes he could have this easy charm that she has.

And she was right too, about being able to make him look good. Things are just easier when he’s with her. She makes him feel comfortable .It’s easier to make small talk when he’s around her. They just banter as usual. She offers him “ins” to conversations, directing them towards things she knows he can talk about.

And he’s not having a terrible time. He’s actually kind of...having fun? He still hates the stuff he usually hates about these events. But, he just loves watching Kory. She’s just so alive. And he finds he can’t keep his eyes off her for long.

He wants to kiss her.

* * *

Halfway through the night, Dick finds himself alone with Kory for the first time, well alone as two people can be in a crowded room. They’re standing together near the edge of the crowd in comfortable silence. 

After a few moments, Kory breaks that silence.

“Let’s dance.”

She grabs his hand, and moves to pull him to the dance floor. But he stands still.

“Kory,” he says, his voice alarmed.

He doesn’t dance.

She stops and looks back at him, raising a questioning eyebrow at him. 

He wants to kiss her. 

But he can’t bring himself to do that. He’ll have to settle for holding her, even if it means dancing. He opens his mouth before he has time to change his mind.

“One dance. One.”

Kory’s face brightens and she pulls him towards the dance floor. She clasps one of her hands in his, and puts her hand on the back of his shoulder. His other hand goes to her back.

They take small steps back and forth, back and forth, finding a rhythm together. Dick relishes holding her so close, the feel of her hand in his, the soft material of her dress.

After a few moments, Kory asks, “Now, this isn’t so bad, is it?”

He looks at her, lips turned slightly upward.

“Guess not.”‘

She smiles back at him. 

He wants to kiss her.

He wants to kiss her so much that he loses concentration, and messes up his steps, almost stepping on her feet.

“Fuck, sorry.”

She just lets out a laugh, as they get their rhythm back.

“You can fight like no one i’ve ever seen. You can do flips and acrobatics. But, small dance steps throw you for a loop?”

He shrugs. It wasn’t the dance steps that threw him for a loop. It was her.

But instead of telling her that, he just says “Everybody’s got their weaknesses.”

She laughs again. He will never get tired of that sound, especially when he’s the cause.

“Ah yes, your one and only weakness.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” he tells her mock seriously.

She gives him a huge smile, and looks at him with shining eyes.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

And then she lays her head on his shoulder. It takes a concentrated effort on his part not to lose his rhythm again.

He is suddenly hit with an overwhelming need for her. Not even in a sexual way. He just...needs her.

He brings her hand up to the side of his neck, and places it there. He slides his hand down, and wraps in around her forearm. The hand on her back pushes her a little bit closer. His head is slightly bent, almost touching hers.

It’s intimate. Oh so, intimate. Too intimate for this stuffy, crowded gala. But Dick is surprised about how little he cares. About his lack of self-consciousness.

It just feels so right.

He closes his eyes. And just breathes her and the moment in. He grips her forearm tighter.

After a few moments, a feeling of peace he’s never really known washes over him. He feels like everything’s okay, like there was never a time when anything wasn’t okay. This moment is a safe haven.

He wonders if she’s feeling the same. 

He doesn’t know how long they stay like that.

Eventually, she pulls away. 

He opens his eyes, blinking repeatedly. It feels like he’s waking up from a deep sleep.

He realizes the song ended.

She smiles softly at him.

“One dance. You survived.”

He thinks about making a joke, about saying something witty. But he’s still in the haze of their moment of peaceful intimacy.

“Yeah, I did,” he says softly, looking fondly at her.

* * *

They head over the bar, each of them ordering a glass of red wine. Bruce comes over and joins them.

“You know,” Bruce says to Kory, “I am so glad that you came tonight. I just wish you had come to Earth and been around earlier.”

“Yeah? Why?” Kory asks him.

“These events would have been so much easier if you were around, if tonight is anything to go by. Dick hasn’t spent the whole event brooding and moping in the corner..”

Dick can feel himself start to blush. Tries to will himself to stop. Doesn’t think he’s successful.

“He’s actually smiled throughout the night, he danced, which i’ve never seen hi-”

“Thank you. She gets it.” Dick interrupts curtly. Bruce looks at him genuinely surprised.

“I wasn’t trying to embarrass you,” Bruce tells him sincerely.

“I wasn’t...I’m not embarrassed,” Dick tries lamely.

“My mistake,” Bruce replies. He leaves them alone.

He and Kory take their drinks and walk through the crowd.

“You know,” Dick says to her, “I think you were actually underselling it when you said you were pretty great at these things.”

“Well, I have a lot of practice. I used to do these sort of things back home.” 

Dick tries to hide his surprise; Kory never talks about her life back on Tamaran. He doesn’t know if the others have noticed, but she only talks about Tamaran in vague terms, always talking about the planet in general, but not about her life on it. This is the first morsel Dick’s really gotten about it, and he can’t help but push for more.

“Yeah? What was your life like there, on Tamaran?” he asks her, trying not to let his eager interest come through in his voice.

“Well,” Kory says with a strained casualness as Dick takes a sip of his wine, “I guess, I should start off with the fact that I’m a princess.”

Kory keeps walking, but Dick is stopped in his tracks. He chokes on his drink, coughing it up, where it spills onto his white dress shirt.

What?

Kory looks back at him. He looks down at his shirt. Fuck. She heads back towards him, takes his drink out of his hand. She places his drink and hers on a table.

“Come on,” she says, as she grabs his hand.

She leads him towards an exit. Dick can only follow, his mouth repeatedly opening and closing as he processes this new information.

A princess.

They exit the ballroom.

Princess.

They walk down the hallways.

Princess.

They enter the kitchen, where Kory lets go of his hand to go talk to one of the staff.

Princess. Princess. Princess. Princess. Princess.

One of the kitchen staff hands Kory some club soda. She grabs his hand again and pulls him out of the kitchen. They walk down the hallway until they find the woman’s bathroom. Kory leads him over to the sink, while she checks the bathroom. No one else is here. 

She walks over to him, takes off his suit jacket, and places it and her purse on the sink counter. She grabs a towel, and then pours some club soda onto it.

“So, you’re a princess. Like of a country in Tamaran or...”

She starts patting his shirt with the towel.

“Of all of Tamaran,” Kory replies.

“Of...all...so a whole.. all of...the entire planet. You’re a princess of an entire planet.”

“Yes, technically the crown princess, heir to the throne. Or I was. It’s complicated,” Kory says quickly, sounding troubled.

“This actually makes so much sense,” Dick tells her.

“Does it?”

“Yeah, I’m not gonna say that I”m not surprised. I obviously was,” Dick says, gesturing to the stain on his chest that Kory is currently trying to remove. “But, you being royalty makes so much sense. I’ve always said that you’re a natural leader. And then there’s the way you walk, the way you carry yourself, the way you command a room, just everything about you.”

He vaguely gestures to all of her. She puts the towel down, and brushes her hand over the stained spot to see if it’s completely gone.

“Everything about me, huh?” she asks, smiling.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opens, and an elderly woman walks in. She startles when she see’s them. And Dick realizes what it must look like, with him leaning against the sink, and Kory standing so close to him with her hand on his chest.

“Oh!” she exclaims. “I didn’t...sorry to interrupt.” She sends them a nervous smile, before quickly exiting.

“We weren’t... It wasn’t...I had a stain!” Dick shouts as she leaves, but it’s too late, she’s already long gone.

Kory bursts out laughing. She leans her head against his chest, her laughter uncontrollable. He can’t help but laugh too.

Eventually, their laughter dies down.

“So uh, a princess life?” Dick says.

“It’s probably not like you imagine it. It’s not like the life of a Disney princess, or your earthly royalty, from what I understand of it. It was... It could be tough. A lot of responsibility, a lot of... pressure, from a pretty young age,” Kory says. 

Dick can tell that she’s being careful with her words, that there is a lot that is going unsaid between each word. He besides not to push her on it.

“You said something earlier about it being complicated... about whether you’re still the crown princess?”

“Caught that did, you?” she asks. “Of course you did.”

She moves away from him. He can see the wheels turning in her brain, deciding something.

“Do you remember after you told the team about Jericho that I said I had some loose ends to tie up?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Kory starts, before letting out a breath.

She starts to fiddle with her rings.

“Well, a...friend, someone from the Tamaran Royal services, had come to bring me back to Tamaran. But, my sister,” Kory says, her words starting to speed up as she starts pacing. “She took over his mind and body with mind control, and masqueraded as him, forcing me to kill him, as the mind control would’ve be painfully fatal. And then I learned that my sister killed my parents and my whole court, and took my crown, and is now the Queen of Tamaran. And she is probably going to send more people to kill me, or possibly even come herself.”

Kory lets out a large breath, having said all that so fast. 

His heart breaks for her. He can’t believes she’s been going through all this alone. Donna. Her friend. Her parents. Her court. Her crown. Her home. Fuck, she’s had so much to deal with.

He reaches out to her. He grabs one of her hands with his one, and pulls her closer to him.

“Kory...” he says, as her eyes meet his. “I’m so so-” Dick stops. “I was going to say that I’m sorry, but... when my parents died, a lot of people told me they were sorry, a lot of people me a lot of other platitudes, and none of it ever helped.”

She looks at him in understanding.

“I wish I knew the right thing to say, something that would make you feel better,” Dick says.

She gives him a small smile.

“I don’t think there is a right thing to say.”

There just stand there is silence for a few moments, his hand still holding one of hers.

“I’m glad you told me. Can I ask you something?” he asks softly. 

“Yeah,” she says, nodding.

“Why didn’t you say anything before now?”

“Yeah, um” she says, biting her lip. “At first, it was because there was so much else going on. You, and everyone else, were dealing with so much...”

“You still could have come to me,” Dick assures her. “No matter what i’m dealing with, I wanna know what’s going on with you, and help you if I can. Always.”

“It wasn’t just that. It’s...knowing that when I told someone, when I told you, I would actually have to deal with it, have to sort things out, and actually make decisions, and...” Kory trails off.

He gives her an encouraging nod.

“I mean, there are moments I think about, I worry about what Kom will do, to me, to Earth, to the people I care about,” Kory says, as she gives Dick a pointed look.

“I know you will help me. I know the team will help me. It’s not that I didn’t know that. I do, and that definitely makes me anxious...But more than that...It’s thinking about the after. If Komand’r doesn’t kill me -”

“She won’t,” Dick vows fiercely.

“If she doesn’t, and we deal with her... what next? I knew that when I told you and the others, I would start to have to actually come up with an answer to that question. It was different before. Before she killed my parents. There was no ticking clock. I could stay on Earth, at least for a while. But now... Now, If we defeat my sister, Tamaran will need a ruler. And I...I...For my entire life, I’ve wanted to be Queen of Tamaran. I spent my life working towards it, towards being a great ruler. To this one thing. And now...now I don’t even know If I want it anymore. Not that I’m sure if I even get a choice in the matter. But...coming here, to Earth, meeting you and the others...It changed things. It changed me. There were so many things that I couldn’t have, things that I told myself weren’t for me... Things that i’ve had and gotten to experience here on Earth... And before, It was fine, it was hard, but I could handle it, because I didn’t know really what I was missing. . But now, I’ve had those things. And I don’t know if I can give it up. And the thought of doing so, just...”

Tears start falling from her eyes, as her words get choked up. 

“But...I don’t know. I still want to rule Tamaran, or maybe I don’t. I don’t know. I don’t know what I want. My whole life. I just wanted one thing. And now, questioning whether I even want it. I...I feel like I don’t even know who I am anymore. Somehow, I felt less lost, more sure of who I was, when I didn’t have my memories. How could I give up something I spent my entire life working for? And when I think about it, about giving up the crown, staying on Earth, abandoning Tamaran, abandoning my responsibilities... Just thinking about it, hell, even thinking about wanting it, I just feel so fucking guilty, and awful, and selfish,” Kory finishes, letting out loud sobs, her face completely crumbling. 

Dick immediately wraps his arms around her, and pulls her tight against his chest. He strokes her hair as she cries against his chest, her tears wetting his tux. He knows he can’t fix this. He can clear at least one thing up though.

“You’re the least selfish person I know. And you’re not an awful person for wanting things for yourselves,” Dick whispers into her hair.

He holds her until her tears stop. She pulls away from him, and he slowly lets his arms drop from around her. She stays close to him though.

She wipes the tears from her face.

“I got your shirt all wet.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dick assures her.

“Wow,” Kory says, letting out a breath. “I’m sorry for dumping all that on you. Once I started, I just couldn’t seem to stop.”

“Don’t. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

“I just...I just don’t know, Dick.”

She looks so lost. And he wishes he knew what to do. Wishes that he could take this burden off her. But he can’t. She’s in a tough spot, and the only thing he can really be is be there for her as she goes through it.

Dick takes a few moments to think.

“I... I think you...just need to take it one step at a time. Now, you cope with your grief, and work yourself up to telling the team about your sister, so we can all prepare. When your sister or whoever she sends comes, we focus on that, deal with that. And when we defeat her, and we will defeat her... then focus on what’s next.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Kory says, letting out a humorless laugh.

“I know it’s not. I know it’s a lot, and that it will be hard. But Kory, you don’t have to do it alone. You definitely don’t have to go up against your sister alone. And you don’t have to decide what to do after all alone either. You have to be the one to make the decision, but you can talk it out and work through it with me, and the rest of the team. Although, I will say, I don’t think I can pretend to be impartial when it comes to whether you stay.”

She graces him with a small smile.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he answers her.

They stand for a few moments in silence, each taking the time to calm and collect themselves.

Dick eventually breaks the silence.

“Why now? Why did you tell me all this now?”

“This past month, I’ve felt so...disconnected from Tamaran, from who I used to be. I’ve lost my home, my crown, my powers. But tonight, with charming everyone and owning a crowded room, I felt like I was in my element for the first time since I lost my powers. Like I may not have my powers, but this, this is something I can still do. It’s not exactly the same, but it reminded me of the royal celebrations and diplomatic galas I used to attend, and at which I was sooo good it. And when I thought of Tamaran, of being a princess, for the first time in a month, I felt good, felt something more than anxiety, and dread, and guilt.”

He nods, understanding.

“And I guess that gave me the strength to tell you.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“I think you already said that,” Kory replies.

He shrugs. She answers him with a smile.

“I could take you to more of these events, if you want?” Dick offers.

She gives him a look of complete surprise and astonishment.

“You _hate_ these things,” she tells him.

“I could bear it, if it would make you happy.”

Kory looks like the breath was taken out of her body.

“I.. That...”Kory stammers for words, something Dick’s never seen before.

“I think I would like that,” she says, “although not too often. Even for me, these kind of events can get draining, and tedious if you do too many of them. But, once in a while would be nice.”

“Okay,” he says softly, looking at her fondly.

“Okay,” she echoes, just as softly.

She’s looking at him, so open, so trusting, so full of affection.

He wants to kiss her.

He puts his hands on her hips. Turns her to lean against the sink counter as he moves in front of her. He sees her eyes darken, and is sure his are doing the same. One of his hands goes to her face, cupping her cheek, and running his thumb across it. Her hands go to his chest.

He leans in, and slowly catches her lips in his. He kisses her slow and gentle. But when she kisses him back, the floodgates open. His kisses her harder and passionately, and she kisses back just the same.

Fuck, he missed this.

Why did he wait so long kiss her again?

His hand moves from her cheek to tangle in her hair. He presses her back harder against the cabinet, getting as close to her as he came. But it’s not close enough. He lifts her up on the counter. Her arms wrap around his neck. 

Her legs wrap around his waist. He pushes his hips flush against her, so fucking thankful for the high slit of her dress. They grind against each other, and Dick can feel himself harden. One of Kory’s hands tangles up in his hair, tugging on it, eliciting a moan from him.

Fuck.

Dick can feel himself getting lost in her. And he never wants to be found.

Suddenly, the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat interrupts his bliss.

Dick pulls away to meet the hard stare of a middle-aged woman.

Kory hops off the counter.

Dick maneuvers her in front of him so she hides his erection.

“That’s not what these bathrooms are for,” the woman says snootily. 

“Uh...Yeah...Sorry,” Dick says.

Kory pays her no mind, grabbing her purse, and turning towards the mirror. She starts fixing her lipstick.

Dick takes deep breaths, willing his erection away. The cold, judgmental stare of the woman is certainly helping. Dick tries to look anywhere but her eyes.

Kory seemingly has no trace of this awkwardness or discomfort. She puts the lipstick away, and moves on to fixing her hair. Dick tugs his tux jacket back on.

The silence is suffocating.

“Sorry,” Dick says again, mostly just to fill the space. 

Kory grabs a paper towel, wets it, and moves closer to him. He looks at her in confusion.

She wipes his lips with the wet towel, getting her lipstick off his lips. She then fixes his hair. And finally, she grabs his hand and is ready to go. Could not have come soon enough.

“You know, out there, I thought you were such a nice girl,” the woman says disapprovingly to Kory.

Okay, Dick doesn’t feel so bad anymore.

“I am a nice girl. Have a good evening,” Kory says with a deadly sweet voice, and a fuck-you smile.

She grabs Dick’s hand and they leave. She doesn’t let go once they’re out in the hallway.

It’s nice. It’s really nice. But Dick can’t stop thinking about the kiss, and what it meant. What does it mean to her? Are they just going to pretend it didn’t happen? Go on as normal?

They’re almost back to the ballroom when Dick pulls her to the side, finding an alcove.

She gives him a questioning look.

“Do you remember the morning after the asylum, when I was leaving, we said that when I figured my shit out and you figured out who you were...we might try it again, us I mean?” Dick asks nervously.

“Of course...it’s j-” Kory starts.

“And I know while you know who you are, you still have a lot to figure out... and I don’t want to add to that,” Dick gulps nervously, preparing to say the next part. “But, I just...want you to know where I stand. I...that kiss back there, it wasn’t nothing, not me. And I’m ready... I’m ready and I want to be with you.”

Kory opens her mouth, but Dick rushes to get something in before she can respond.

“And I know you may not be ready, probably aren’t. And I’m not trying to pressure you or rush you. I’m not expecting anything...I just wanted you to know.”

“That’s really what you want? Even though I might go back to Tamaran?” she asks skeptically.

“Yes.”

Even a few months ago, that wouldn’t have been the answer. He would have ran. He would have put up a huge wall to protect himself. Do anything to stop from getting hurt. To stop her from hurting him.

But, he’s been trying to do things differently lately. And he knows deep in his bones, that if she does leave and return to Tamaran, and he had never said anything, had passed on the opportunity to be with her, he would regret it for the rest of his life. And he couldn’t imagine ever regretting being with her, no matter how much it might fucking hurt in the end. It would hurt no matter what, so he might as well be with her, if that’s what she wants.

Kory stays silent for a few moments, taking everything he said in.

“It would make it harder for me to leave, if that’s what I decide,” she says quietly.

His first thought is _good_. But it’s a selfish one, and he would never be callous enough to say it. But he can’t lie to himself and tell himself that every little thing that pushes her more towards the choice of staying isn’t a good thing to him, doesn’t fill his heart with joy and hope, stave off that pain of her possibly leaving him.

He knows, no matter what, it will be hard for her. When the time comes, she will have to make to make a choice, give some things up.

Give up Tamaran. Give up her crown. Give up her duty.

Or.

Give up Earth. Give up the team. Give up her friends. Give up him. Give up them.

She’ll have to choose. And it will be hard and painful no matter what she chooses. And that makes him ache. He wishes she could have it all. Wishes he could give her everything that she ever wanted. Wishes he could spare her from this painful choice.

But he can’t. She will have to make a decision. And it will be her decision. He knows that. When the times comes, when she’s forced to choose once and for all, he can, and will, say his piece, lay out his desire for her to stay, lay out his heart.

But he also knows he can’t push her too hard. Can’t ask her to stay just for him. He knows that he will have to fight every instinct in his body that tells him to be selfish when it comes to her. Because as much as he wants her to stay, and fuck, fuck, fuck does he want, no need, her to stay, he doesn’t want her to stay if it’s not what she wants. If it’s not what she thinks is best for her. He doesn’t want to - nope, can’t- pressure her into a decision she’ll regret, that’ll make her unhappy. He doesn’t want that. Couldn’t bare that.

He can just hope to all fucking hell that what she does want the most is to stay. Hope that she chooses Earth, chooses the team, chooses him, chooses them.

“Yeah, I imagine it would,” he tells her sadly. “I guess the question is whether you think it’s worth it.”

Kory takes a deep breath in. He can practically hear her thinking.

“Like I said, I’m not asking for anything now. I’m...you don’t have to decide now. I just wanted to let you know where I stand.”

He can tell she’s still thinking though, so he takes her hand in his, and gestures toward the direction of the ballroom.

“Come, on. Let’s get back to the party. I’m sure everyone’s feeling the loss of your royal presence,” Dick tells her kindly.

He starts to head towards the ballroom, but his hand is pulled backward. He turns his head, and suddenly Kory’s hands are on his face and her lips are on his. He immediately kisses her back, turning to face her, and bringing his hands to grip her waist. After a few seconds, she pulls back.

“There are so many decisions that I have to think and think over, where my heart is torn over it...For this one, I just wanna go with what I feel, to what I know I want,” Kory tells him.

“Yeah?” he says smiling. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” she says smiling back.

They walk hand-in-hand back to the gala. Her by his side, he by hers. And he will be by her side, through it all, as long as she wants him. He hopes that’s a long time.


End file.
